Thursday, August 30, 2012

Broadcast and media services provider Media Broadcast will introduce the next generation of new digital terrestrial radio services in Germany at IFA 2012. This comes around 12 months after the launch of a digital terrestrial radio system in DAB+ standard. The nationwide digital radio multiplex will transmit traffic information in TPEG format and thereby offer its listeners an expanded information service on road traffic. The extended traffic information is transmitted on Media Broadcast's datacast platform. The complete coverage of Germany is planned by the broadcasters and transmitter network operator for 2014/15.

China will promote the application and industrialization of its self-developed audio-video coding standard (AVS+) in broadcasting and television.

According to the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT), the implementation for the AVS+ standard will meet increased demand for new broadcasting technologies, such as high-definition TV and 3D TV.

SARFT official Sun Suchuan said related departments are creating policies concerning the standard and will work to promote its application.

Ding Wenwu, an official from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, said the ministry will provide financial, industrial and research-related support for the promotion of the AVS+ standard.

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

BBC Media Action is currently helping radio stations across Sierra Leone with their response to the cholera outbreak, in terms of reporting and providing critical information.

The cholera outbreak in Sierra Leone made international headlines over the weekend when the president declared a national emergency. Since January, more than 200 people have died.

The district of Kambia on the country's northern border was one of the first places to suffer from the outbreak. In April and May, hundreds of people were affected and five died.

Back then, I spoke to Pa Alie Turay from Bamoi, a market centre that attracts people from all over the country, and even neighbouring Guinea. He told me: "We are dying from cholera because the water we drink here is from water wells and streams that are not protected. Our fear is for our children who roam about with little or no protection. We want the media to help us because the health personnel are not taking this issue seriously."

As a station mentor, I suggested that cholera was an issue that Radio Kolenten, the community radio station, should be covering. I helped the journalists gather information and we approached the District Health Management Team.

At first we faced reluctance. "Whenever cholera is discussed, the people will be scared," Health Superintendent Dr Jalloh told us. However, after a lengthy discussion, he agreed to be interviewed.

On air, he said, "We are running out of drugs because of the daily admission of cases. In fact, we had to administer 30 doses of intravenous fluids to one patient who was in a very desperate condition. But unfortunately, the council says there is no health allocation from central government since the start of the year. So we are in dire need of help."

NETIA, a leading software manufacturer of media asset management and radio automation solutions, has announced that it has supplied its Radio-Assist suite of digital audio automation software to Amhara Radio, a regional state-owned radio station in northeast Ethiopia.

The project, undertaken in collaboration with local broadcast and A/V systems integrator Fortune Enterprise PLC, represents NETIA's third in the country, following Radio-Assist installations at Ethiopian Radio Television Agency (ERTA) and Radio Fana. The Radio Assist solution at Amhara Radio will cover the entire production chain, from ingest to delivery, with more than 30 users working on the system. In addition to facilitating the station's transition from analog to digital, the NETIA software solution also will improve the efficiency of Amhara Radio's daily operations.

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

DW recently completed a contest to get users to submit ideas for new content for its educational series Learning by Ear. The feedback was astounding – and now the winners are in. The jury has now come up with a list of the 10 best, incuding the winner from Togo. Bouloufèi Bèwèzima and a group from the club “A nous la planète” wrote a story called “A long way home” about two trafficked boys who undertake an exhausting march to rejoin their family.

The head of the Philippines Intellectual Property Office has called on ABU members to support the WIPO Broadcasters Treaty.

Atty Ric Blancaflor, the Director General of the Philippines Intellectual Property Office, told ABU members attending the 18th ABU Copyright Committee Meeting and Seminar in Manila that the treaty was important and the process should be expedited.

He urged the broadcasters to actively involve their governments, to seek inspiration from the Performance Treaty in Beijing and to work for a similar successful outcome for the Broadcasters Treaty.

Proponents believe that under the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), a Broadcasters’ Treaty will protect the rights of broadcasters on an international level.

ABU Secretary General Dr Javad Mottaghi welcomed the copyright committee members to the Manila meeting, which was co-hosted by Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) and ABS-CBN.

He encouraged members to work together on regulations and copyright issues and assured them of support from the ABU Secretariat.

Following lengthy discussion, a consensus was reached by the members on the Articles to be represented as the ABU’s stand on the Broadcasters Treaty at the WIPO meeting in October 2012.

The meeting ended with Mr Yoshinori Naito of NHK-Japan unanimously elected as the new Chairperson of the ABU Copyright Committee.

Monday, August 27, 2012

With easy availability of internet, arrival of Blackberry and smart phones and limitations faced by traditional radio, online radio has now emerged as a powerful medium in India to keep the youth engaged.

Internet radio is a very popular concept worldwide. With websites such as pandora, live365 and streema, internet radio has come a long way.

Radio City was one of the first mainstream radio players to develop an online portal with exclusive content on planetradiocity. Radio City launched two addition stations along with its mainstream web station that play a mix of Bollywood, international songs along with Sufi and ghazals.

“We were always sure of the fact that we wanted our listeners to experience exclusive radio on the internet. This is why instead of just taking Radio City’s terrestrial content on the internet, we developed content specifically for the audience on planetradiocity,” said Rachna Kanwar, SVP and Head, Digital Media and New Business, Radio City.

Radio City has a separate team of RJs and producers for its online portal and has introduced a number of new attractions such as Tweeter Tu, a capsule which is a take on popular tweets and Boss’s Top 5, which is a tête-à-tête with CEOs on the show Wild Wild West, etc. to keep the audience hooked.

Music specialisation has also been a very important aspect of online radio. Radio Mirchi’s online portals: Meethi Mirch, Purani Jeans, Club Mix and Mirchi Edge cater the music of a particular genre each. Meethi Mirchi plays modern Bollywood melodies, Purani Jeans plays retro hits, Club Mix plays party tracks and Mirchi Edge plays music that is not restricted by the boundaries of Bollywood.

A rather unique form of content was seen with arrival of Big FM on internet in 2010. Big FM launched its Big Net Radio which hosts talk shows on various topics according to the theme of the portal. For instance, Humour Radio has comedy shows, Celebrity Radio Speaks has celeb talks, interviews, latest happening, etc. and Spiritual Radio focuses on religious and spiritual content.

While mainstream players make the best of the internet space, independent web radio portals are also making presence felt in India.

Radio Whiskey is a pure play online radio portal. It focuses on playing unheard exclusive original music sourced from independent artists.

Geneva, 24 August 2012 – The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and the Fédération Internationale des Luttes Associées (FILA) have signed a new media rights agreement covering all FILA World and European Wrestling Championships from 2013 to 2016 inclusive.

The new contract covers media rights in Europe for seven championships: four European and three Worlds (there will be no World Championships in 2016 owing to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games), with men's and women's Greco-Roman and Freestyle disciplines contested at each event.

And it makes the EBU the worldwide distribution partner for all FILA events on different platforms, inside and outside Europe. The EBU will also assist FILA in media rights sales.

FILA and the EBU have enjoyed a close partnership since 1988, but this latest deal will extend that shared history to 28 years.

FILA President Raphael Martinetti said: "We are pleased to continue our excellent partnership with the EBU, the strongest media consortium in Europe. This gives a unique possibility for Greco-Roman and Freestyle Wrestling to grow into new markets and continue the recent and positive development of our fantastic Olympic sport."

EBU Head of Indoor Sports Ingolfur Hannesson added: "This long-standing cooperation is driven by the excellent FILA organization their Championships and the recent multi-services approach of the EBU. This approach provides sports federations with a platform of continuous growth within the challenging and competitive marketplace of sports and media.

The powers that be have recognized what many of you have told us and awarded this station, World Radio Switzerland, Radio of the Year for 2012. The station has been threatened with closure and put up for privatization by the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation, but in an award ceremony earlier today WRS won “Radio of the Year” for French- and Italian-speaking Switzerland. The award was presented in Zurich, where senior editor Adam Beaumont speaks to host Alex Helmick:

Sunday, August 26, 2012

Radio Pakistan Rawalpindi will celebrate its 62nd anniversary on September 1‚ 2012.

Radio Pakistan Rawalpindi was established on 1st September 1950 to cater the needs of Pothohar region by providing education‚ information and entertainment. This Station explores and presents Pothohari folk music‚ literature‚ culture‚ norms of the region.

The mission of the station is to inform‚ educate and entertain the target audience and to bring positive change in the society.

Through its various programs‚ Radio Pakistan Rawlpindi has created awareness in the masses to become socially responsible citizens. It is a public broadcaster and has got diverse listening from urban and rural areas of Rawlpindi and adjacent cities. The station presents different programs for all age groups‚ students/youth‚ minorities etc.

On the occasion of its 62nd anniversary‚ Radio Pakistan Rawalpindi will broadcast special programs.

In the new millennium the social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and various forums and blogs have developed rapidly and have increased their influence immeasurably. People use such networks as they communicate with friends, make new friends, look for jobs and self-organize.

Radio Bulgaria has had its website operational since 2004. And now the foreign language programs have Facebook accounts each. We have to turn our community of listeners and readers into people who talk and share ideas, and to take care of this community consistently, contends PR expert Associate Prof. Desislava Boshnakova.

“What distinguishes social networks is the conversation, the exchange replacing the one-way communication, the release of messages where feedback is not crucial", Boshnakova explains. "The idea of the new technology allowing for two-way communication is not simply the exchange of information, but communication proper. In this process what matters is not the number of people involved but rather the level and quality of communication. What matters is to create keen interest in a certain website, and make users comment first, get involved, and later on share some content with their circle of friends. In this way you will have more users, however not ones added automatically, but people who care for what you do, and really enjoy your content.”

Radio Bulgaria has a long tradition of communication with its audience through letters, phone calls and emails. Now Facebook has considerably facilitated the enriched the process.

The good thing is that the listeners and the members of our group on Facebook discuss the content and in this way help us improve the way we approach topics and formats, explains Anna Kapitanova from the Albanian Language Section.

“Thanks to our Facebook page we came to know that Albanian climbers had successfully climbed Everest. We immediately contacted the climbers’ camp and took an interview. They provided us with photos and detailed information. In this way we were among the first media outlets to cover this event.”

A Vietnamese delegation from Radio The Voice of Vietnam (VOV), led by its Deputy General Director Vu Hai, paid a working visit to the provincial radio station in China's Yunnan province on August 24.

The two sides exchanged experiences in producing news, stories and advertisements, as well as development trends in multimedia broadcasting.

Hai stressed that VOV attaches importance to strengthening cooperation with broadcasting associations across the world, including the Yunnan Radio Station.

The head of Yunnan Radio Station hopes that the two agencies will continue to maintain a cooperative culture through co-organizing professional forums, and exchange delegations and reporters to learn from each other's experiences.

They also discussed transmitting radio broadcasts across the border, especially programs about the people and cultures of the two countries.

The Yunnan Radio Station was established in 1950 and has become an important information channel serving 46 million local people.

Friday, August 24, 2012

During the SET Exhibiton DRM presence was enhanced by the announcement that Teletronix (http://www.teletronix.com.br/) Brazilian transmission company, has launched the first DRM+ Brazilian transmitter.

This comes after the company BT Broadcast Transmitters launched and showcased a locally produced DRM30 transmitter during the ABERT Congress in June.

These two developments on the Brazilian market underline the increased interest in DRM, both for MW (DRM30) and DRM+ (FM and VHF bands) in Brazil.

Brazilian radio broadcasters are now offered a double option to meet their transmission needs.

With the new ATD8ZP family, Panasonic Industrial Devices Europe GmbH has developed the world's smallest* DAB/DAB+/DMB modules. The SMT-compatible components are intended for digital in-car radio reception using entertainment solutions (head units) or navigation devices. As well as original equipment, Panasonic also has its sights on retrofits (after market) for the up-and-coming DAB technology.

Thanks to many years of high-frequency experience in conjunction with comprehensive SMD expertise, the engineers at the Panasonic factory in Lüneburg (Lower Saxony/Germany) have developed a module with dimensions of only 29 x 15 x 4 mm. It lends itself particularly well for integration into current product designs and can be efficiently processed on printed circuit boards in manufacture. Input frequency ranges from 163 MHz to 240 MHz (Band III) and from 1452 MHz to 1492 (L-Band) are covered. The modules are distinguished by high sensitivities of -101 dBm in Band III and -100dBm in the L-Band, and outstanding selectivity. Activation is by UART, audio output via I2S and data transmission via SPI. The modules require a supply voltage of 3.3 V. Current consumption is 180 mA.

A new Ofcom report reveals the thoughts of listeners to commercial radio.
More than one in five say there’s more advertising and programme sponsorships on air than they’re happy with, with a further 59% saying they wouldn’t want any more than there is already.

The findings are part of Ofcom’s annual survey of consumer attitudes towards broadcasting, which charts the changing public opinion towards media issues.

The research also finds that for local news, a small majority say that TV is their main source (53%), with 15% selecting newspapers, 10% radio and 6% the internet. Commercial radio listeners are more likely than BBC radio listeners to say they relied on the radio for coverage of local news (38% vs 31%), travel/weather (41% vs 34%), information about events/the community (32% vs 24%), and emergencies such as snow and floods (35% vs 39%).

Radio is seen as the second most impartial news source (52%), down from 57% in 2010, and behind television (59%). Ofcom suggests that the decrease could be related to a general decline in trust in the media following the past year’s events, with TV and radio taking the brunt of the decline, as other media were already likely to be seen as less impartial.

Regional differences are also highlighted by the report, with radio remaining particularly strong in Northern Ireland, where one-fifth (21%) of respondents say that their main media source for their nation’s news is radio, compared to 8% of respondents from Wales and 5% of respondents from Scotland.

Meanwhile, just 2% of radio listeners said they’d heard something on the radio that they found offensive in the last 12 months.

London — Refugee camp radio stations set up by a development charity are loved by their audiences, but face major funding challenges

"When I heard about giving birth in a hospital on Radio Sila, it was the first time anyone suggested that to me," says 37-year-old Achta Abakar Ibrahim, a Darfur refugee and mother of 10. She sits in the shade of her compound in Djabal camp, near Goz Beïda, eastern Chad, plaiting the hair of her four-year-old daughter, Malia.

"My first six children I had at home, and although - thanks to God - I didn't have any serious problems, it was just so much easier in the hospital," she says. "There, they know what can go wrong, and that made me so much more confident."

Radio Sila is one of three radio stations - the other two are Absoun in Iriba and Voix de Ouaddai in Abeche - which were set up in 2005 and 2006 by the international media development charity Internews. Now, similar stories to Ibrahim's can be heard in many of the 12 camps dotted along Chad's border with Sudan, home to 265,000 people displaced by conflict in Darfur, or in the host villages that welcomed them.The stations use a mix of targeted social action programmes and innovations on a range of subjects, often those considered taboo in local communities. These have included interactive phone-ins and discussions to provide information, and a communications channel between refugees and aid agencies.

"People talk much more openly on the radio. They listen to each other and learn from each other's experience," says Nalga Katir, who organised a debate on female genital mutilation, sponsored by the UN Population Fund, in the refugee camps. "They're just a voice on the radio, so it allows them to debate in a way they would be afraid to face-to-face, and then you see after the programme people are sitting in the shade of a tree still discussing it."

However, despite the fact that almost none of the Darfuris are returning home, funding for refugee projects in the region is getting harder to come by - and the radio stations are no exception. Internews pulled out at the end of July. Formal training on management matters and revenue generation was given to local journalists, who had been trained by the organisation, before it left, and the stations are now in the process of transforming into independent community radio associations.

The National Orientation Agency will soon float a radio station to reach people directly, NOA Director Human Resources, David Manya Dogo, has said.

The Director, who made the remark in an interview after the launching of Consumer Protection Council's ProServe program, said the "we already have (the radio station) today in Abuja. We are doing test transmission."

"You know the advantage of having a radio station. We can do awareness. We can promote national values and ethics."

Asked whether the new station would not be a duplication of media, the Director said "the more the merrier."

"Beyond that also what we are trying to do is to encourage the communities to establish their own community radio. You can imagine if in a local government if you have as many communities having their radio stations, you see, it is very easy to communicate with the people at that level. So, if we have a lot of these community radios, we shall be closing the communication gap between the people and even the government."

A new, expanded studio has been launched in Kiev, Ukraine, where it is serving as the center for radio production, music recording, and other recording and editing needs of the Ukrainian Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.

“Our intention is to open a couple of studio across the country, so people can prepare and broadcast programs on their local FM stations,” says radio director Anatoly Begas. “As well, our youth will be able to record music and other audio content, which will serve to spread the gospel to many more people using the radio and Internet.”

AWR has broadcast Ukrainian radio programs on two national government-owned radio networks for more than 10 years. The programs have attracted a sizable audience, with 1,700 new Bible correspondence students enrolling each year. Since the new studio began operating, the staff is recording different types of audio content, such as Ellen G. White books, Bible courses, and radio programs, which are streamed online 24/7.

With more than 60,000 church members, the Ukrainian Union Conference has the largest Adventist membership in the Euro-Asia Division. Radio broadcasts and the Bible Correspondence School play an important role in spreading the message of hope to one of the biggest nations in Europe.

In addition to equipping the new studio, AWR is helping to cover the airtime costs for broadcasts on Radio Ukraine. Ukrainian programs can be heard as podcasts through awr.org or iTunes.

The recent realignment of territories among the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s three European divisions and the creation of the Greater Middle East Union Mission have impacted the structure and operations of AWR’s Europe region. In this region, the three main shortwave production studios are being relocated to other church entities, as follows:

The studio in Collonges, France, produced programs in six languages for AWR, primarily for listeners in the Middle East. Responsibility for these programs has been transferred to the recently-built AWR studio in Beirut, Lebanon, where local staff will take up production under the administration of the Greater Middle East Union Mission.

The studio in Arua, Uganda, has been serving the needs of listeners in Sudan with programs in seven languages and functioning as part of the Trans-European Division. Now that South Sudan has become an independent country, studio staff will move to the city of Juba at some point in the future and work under the East-Central Africa Division.

The studio in Pakistan will remain in place, but the church’s operations there are now part of the Southern-Asia Pacific Division.

As a result of these changes, AWR’s Europe region has been left with considerably less shortwave production to oversee, and the restructured portfolio no longer warrants a full-time region director. Therefore, the Executive Committee of AWR’s Board voted to discontinue the Europe region director position. With regret, AWR has bid farewell to Tihomir Zestic, who has filled this role for the past five years, and granted him permanent return status to his native Croatia.

“We are very grateful to Tihomir for his many contributions to Adventist World Radio,” says AWR president Dowell Chow. “Significant developments during his tenure have included the creation of a new studio in the Israel Field, the establishment of a new studio in Lebanon, the launch of broadcasts in Moldova, and start-up of radio work in Albania that has the potential of expanding into full production. We appreciate Tihomir’s fine service and are confident that the Lord will continue to lead in his ministry.”

Commendations and thanks are also shared with the 10-member staff of the studio in Collonges, France. “Their work in producing programs for AWR over the years in languages such as Arabic, Farsi, French, Kabyle, Tachelit, and Turkish has been greatly appreciated,” Chow says. “Through their programs, many listeners in the Middle East and other territories have heard the name of Jesus for the first time and experienced hope from the message of His soon return. Although we are gratified that this production will continue at the new location, we are saddened to lose such valuable members of our worldwide team.”

With this territorial realignment, AWR will study how to best serve the studios and stations that remain in all three European divisions.

A team of young people from China have won the 11th ABU Asia-Pacific Robocon, with Vietnam coming in as runners up and Japan taking out the ABU Robocon Award.

The team from the University of Electronic Science and Technology, China emerged as champions at the competition finals hosted by RTHK-Hong Kong, ahead of 16 other teams from 16 countries taking part.

The theme for this year’s competition was “Peng On Dai Gat, In Pursuit of Peace and Prosperity” which was inspired by annual Hong Kong Bun Festival. It called for competitors to built robots to grab the top-most and luckiest buns on a tower.

The inaugural ABU TV Song Festival has attracted a star-studded list of singers for the gala night in Seoul, Korea, on 14 October.

The event at KBS Hall - the headquarters of the host Korean Broadcasting System - will feature Korea’s top K-Pop group, Girl’s Generation.

NHK-Japan has entered Perfume, a girl techno-pop trio with three consecutive number-one albums on the weekly Oricon chart, while CCTV-China has award-winning Emma Cao, whose recent hit “Happy Together” was selected as the 3rd Asian Beach Games theme song.

SBS-Australia will send the internationally famed DJ, singer and dancer Havana Brown whose 2011 hit “We Run the Night” peaked at Number One on the US Hot Dance Club chart. Also in the Pacific region, TVRI-Indonesia has chosen Putri Siagan.

Meanwhile, a trio of male stars who shot to fame in national talent programs will join the festival. MediaCorp Singapore has enlisted Taufik Batisha, winner of the very first Singapore Idol competition in 2004. TVB-Hong Kong has confirmed rising star Alfred Hui, winner of the Award for Highest Popularity on Hong Kong’s “The Voice,” talent program in 2009, while RTM-Malaysia will send Hafiz, winner of TV reality program Akademi Fantasia, who received 46 per cent of over 4.2 million votes.

Rounding out the line-up, MNB-Mongolia has selected veteran female vocalist Naran, whose singing prowess has brought her music to audiences around the world. RTA-Afghanistan has selected folk singer Abdul Hamid Sakhizada.

Other Asia-Pacific broadcasters have also indicated their interest in joining the ABU TV Song Festival, meaning the line-up could grow even larger by October.

The song festival will take place during the 49th ABU General Assembly from 11-17 October and will take the form of a televised, non-competitive celebration of popular music representing the geographical and cultural expanse of the Asia-Pacific region.

More information on the inaugural ABU Television Song Festival and performers can be found here.